When it comes to food, everything is relative: what's shocking and scandalous in one country is completely normal in another.
Such is the case with balut, or as we call it in Vietnam, hột vịt lộn. The fertilized duck fetus egg makes for a tasty nhậu snack and is a popular fixture among street carts across Saigon. While no one in Southeast Asia would bat an eyelash at the dish – after all, we eat ducks and duck eggs, so what's wrong with the in-between stage? – Americans are decidedly less accustomed to the practice.
This is pretty clear in the Buzzfeed video below, which documents American millenials trying balut for the first time. While reactions range from “Not as bad as I thought it would be” to “Oh my God, it's looking up at you,” most of the first-time diners were fairly open-minded.
Take a look at Americans enjoying the Southeast Asian treat:
